Civilian hospitalized after shooting at Fort Knox

(NBC NEWS) -- The Army base at Fort Knox, Ky., was briefly locked down and remained on heightened security Wednesday evening after a shooting on the post, military officials said.

A civilian was flown by helicopter to a hospital, but there was no immediate word on the victim's condition, a military official told NBC News.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5 p.m. ET near the Army's Human Resource Command, which is headquartered at Fort Knox. The base was placed on full lockdown, but it was lifted early Wednesday evening, the official said.

The military base, which sprawls over 170 miles in three counties about 30 miles south of Louisville, Ky., is separate from but adjacent to the famous federal gold depository.